Classic angel food cake is naturally casein free and can be a delicious gluten-free cake too. If you remember cardboard, spongey, store-bought angel food cake, this is nothing like that. Homemade angel food cake is moist, tender and definitely worth trying! When strawberries are not in season, try lemon curd, chocolate whipped cream with chocolate shavings, or an almond glaze.
If you are still fearful of making your first gluten-free angel food cake, never fear! I wrote a guest post full of step-by-step photos, How to Bake a Gluten Free Angel Food Cake, for Gluten Free Cooking School.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 cup gluten free flour ( I used 1/4 cup millet flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup white rice flour and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour to achieve a fluffy, light texture)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
12 egg whites, room temperature (to maximize volume of egg whites)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Separate egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and let them come to room temperature. In a separate medium bowl, sift gluten free flour, salt, xanthan gum, and 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. Beat in the other reserved 3/4 cup of sugar about 3 Tablespoons at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold in flour mixture about 1/4 cup at a time. Once the flour mixture is combined, fold in the vanilla. Slowly pour the batter into a tube pan (preferably one where the inside lifts out) and spread the batter evenly. Run a knife through the cake to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 50-55 minutes until top is golden and sides begin to pull away. Cool for 10 minutes. Run the edges of a knife along the pan and pull out the insert to the tube pan. Run a knife along the bottom of the insert and invert onto a cake plate. Serve with topping of choice!
Angel Food Cake is a great make ahead recipe.
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Posted on March 27th, 2008 by Natalie
Filed under: Baked Goods, Cakes, Celiac, Desserts, GF Living, Gluten Free, Gluten free diet, Holidays, Make Ahead, flour mix, gluten free lifestyle
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[...] your ingredients and Preheat Your Oven for 325 degrees. For proportions see full recipe for angel food cake at Gluten Free Mommy. Separate egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and let them come to room [...]
I’m suddenly having the hugest craving for angel food cake.
Yours looks amazing.
Natalie, that looks so delicious. I do believe I’ve found David’s and my birthday cake =)
Natalie ~ I totally forgot about angel food cake. This looks SO good. Definitely on my to-make list. My daughter used to call this angel fairy cake. I wonder if she will still call it that when I make it?
SM
I love this recipe and so many others like it - I have one very difficult problem. Many of my gluten intolerant patients are also sugar intolerant (ADD and autistic children for example) what would any of you recommend in the place of sugar? Splenda and Aspartame do not even ever figure into anyone’s diet ever! I usually use agave nectar and have made wonderful sherbets without dairy or sugar but I am finding it difficult to find a “healthy” sweetener to replace sugar.
I love angel food cake. It’s just such a light treat.
The cake looks delicious. Have you ever tried freezing it?
tickledr, would evaporated cane juice work for your patients?
Natalie,
This looks delicious! I want it so bad, but am worried about my sugar. Do you think powdered stevia would work instead? I doubt it and I bet it’d get that “stevia” bitter flavor…? I don’t think agave would work since it would change the consistency. Ideas? I love angle food cake, but it made me really sick (fast sugar spike, crash, and subsequent really bad hypoglycemia) previously. I guess I”m in the same boat as tickeldr
thanks! xoxo, Cindalou
Yum! I am going to have to try this recipe ASAP! Strawberry shortcake is my favorite dessert!
[...] A couple weeks ago I wanted to get some good gluten free recipes. (This angel food cake looks divine!) I Googled for them and hit the jackpot. It always amazes me how people in the [...]
My son made me an Angel Food cake for my birthday last summer (he was 11 at the time). I didn’t have to make my own gluten and dairy free birthday cake. He earned major points! What a sweetie! Yours looks delicious. I always have to fight the urge to lick the computer screen when I see your food photos…
As far as less sugar sweetener goes, how about xylitol. It is a birch derived “sweetener” you can find in many health food stores. It has a lower glycemic index, and is supposed to have many other health benefits (anti-yeast infection, anti-bacterial, etc).
I am really anxious to try this! Angel food cake was my absolute favorite growing up! yum!
[...] hate to cut this post short…but I hear the oven timer…. the Angel Food cake (Thanks, Natalie) is done for a friend’s newly diagnosed daughter (tomorrow) and our fresh [...]
[...] me a box of chocolate biscotti (Yes, Virginia…there is a Santa!) and I brought her some Angel Food Cake (And, Virginia… even better, there is a [...]
Those of us who need to eat GF must also get familiar with glycemic load (GL) values to help with sugar spikes and crashes from all grains and sweeteners. This means never to eat moderate to high glycemic-index (GI) value carbohydrates by themselves. Always include - 1) fiber, 2) fat, or 3) protein along with your ONE slice of GF cake (or GF bread or GF muffin, et al) to blunt the expected rise in blood glucose, i.e., whole fruit with some good fat and/or protein.